Montana-based Gallery MAR artist Shawna Moore is presenting a sold our workshop at the Kimball Art Center this weekend. Fling in and out of town, she was able to bring new works for exhibiting at our gallery, as we are very excited to have them here. The chain elements and calligraphy work is expanding into circles and orbits in her work, and the color in this particular series is inviting and warm. Enjoy…

Shawna Moore - "Sokoto," 40" x 30"

A collector’s “wall”: artworks hanging from the spines of books.

In the Park City gallery, I continually hear the phrase: “We have no more room for art!” And what a lovely problem to have!

I myself have a small home (as is the case with most miner’s homes built in the late 1800s) here in Park City and there never seems to be enough room for our artwork collection. Nonetheless, it keeps growing. This weekend, my husband and I were traveling through California and happened upon some sculptures by Karen Shapiro that we couldn’t live without. It’s a bug. I know I have a(n art collecting) problem. We were both giddy as we arranged for shipping and tried to wrack our brains to decipher were they might go. Didn’t matter… we would make them fit!

Michael Kessler’s latest installation from Gallery MAR, in Boston

There is always a creative spot for paintings and sculpture. Sometimes it just takes a little adjustment here and there. Found a little 20″ x 30″ landscape that perfectly captures how you felt on your Tuscan vacation? Move your (already hung) 30″ x 40″ painting down 2 feet and put the smaller work on top of it. Discovered a new and emerging glass artist whose glass vessel is as blue as your wife’s beautiful eyes? Donate a few of your books to the library and your shelves now have more room for sculpture!

A phrase that we always love to hear:  “Oh, we’ll find a place!” The words of a true collector.

We just received ten new paintings from New Mexico-based artist Michael Kessler. A personal favorite of mine, Michael Kessler paints in layers of acrylic with a high gloss resin topping the abstracted landscapes. Although the images below are gorgeous, the pieces in person are a site to behold. Please stop by the Park Ciy gallery soon to enjoy these masterful works yourself.

Park City’s Kimball Art Center is bringing 20 artists and 20 corporations together for their latest “fun”raiser in Historic Park City. ABC’s Scott Wolf, a local celebrity, will emcee the evening at the Canyon’s on December 17th, the night before Gallery MAR‘s first opening exhibition of the Winter season.

The Chairity Lift project unites 20 artists and 20 corporations (benefiting 20 charities) to design 40 chairlifts for this unique event. These chairs came from the dismantled 42 year old, historic Golden Eagle lift from Canyons. The artists and corporations created one of a kind, innovative works of art to be auctioned off on both eBay and live at the Chairity Lift event on December 17, 2010. The bulk of the proceeds from all chairlift purchases will go to Kimball Art Center to continue providing free exhibitions and education programs year-round with 25% of all proceeds back to artists and charities.

As a presenting sponsor, eBay announced it launched a 10 day online auction of these works of art. A select group of chairs were designated specifically for eBay and launched on December 6, 2010 at 8pm MST. The auction will be listed on eBay Giving Works website, the official eBay giving site and the corporate blog and will run through Wednesday, December 15, 2010 at 8pm MST. The Chairity Lift auction can be found at http://ebay.com/kimballartcenter.

“Chairity Lift is an exciting collaboration at the intersection of creativity and corporate philanthropy. Participants were given free reign to express their unique point of view to transform a chair lift into a one of a kind work of art. We’re thrilled with the results and with the help eBay, these masterpieces will reach a global audience,” Robin Marrouche, Executive Director, Kimball Art Center.

Hosted by Scott Wolf, star of ABC’s new hit show,V, the Chairity Lift event is on Friday, December, 17th in the Grand Summit Ballroom at Canyons from 6:30pm – 10pm. An evening of entertainment with music from Bryon Friedman and a live auction of Golden Eagle lift chairs while Wolf emcees the event. Tickets are available for $50, until the week of December 13th-17th when ticket prices increase to $75.

The artists including titles of their artwork for Chairity Lift are:

Mike Bronn – “Last Chair”

Ron Butkovitch -”That’s How We Roll”

Dennis Dale – “Flintstone Chairlift”

Megan Fernandez -”Golden Eagle Chair Pose (Utkatasana)”

Scott Gutierrez – “Frozen in Time”

Lisa Hale -”Winged Feather Swing”

Corinne Humphrey -”Autumn Leaves at the Canyons”

Karyn Jacobsen -”Lynx”

Sharon Jonas -”The Ride-on Chair”

Matt Kraft – “Ski Rod”

Ian Leinbach -”SkiCycle”

Jason Martinez -”Rossignol Chair”

Renee Mox Hall -”The Chairiot of Fire”

Park City Highschool Art Club- “Seasons and History of Park City”

R. Nelson Parrish – “No. 37 Apres Ski 2010″

Bob Peek – “Who is Rik Shaw Anyway?”

Mike Quinlan – “Mosaic Tiffany Glass Chair”

Dayna Stern -”Chairman Mao”

Whitney Thompson – “No. 47: Rothkochaired”

Mike Walton – “Fly Fishing Scenes”

Portuguese Judiciary Police (2); Agence France-Presse (2)

At top left, the Chagall wedding scene fake, with a real Chagall painting below it. At top right, a fake reclining nude by Botero; at bottom right, a real Botero

What do experts look when deciphering fraudulent works from the true masterpieces? I’m currently reading a new non-fiction book about one of the greatest (and most recent) art frauds out of England. Provenance follows villain John Drewe and his accomplices as they exploit the archives of the British art world to illegally legitimize hundreds of forged (by their hands) artworks. It’s a page turner, and would make a wonderful holiday gift for any art lover.

Then, tonight, I notice a new headline in the art world– more fakes out of Portugal! Digging into this Mutual Art Article it appears to be a very strange case in the art forgery world. Typically, a forger specializes in one area of artwork: impressionism, cubism, etc. But the new “collection” is a jumble, an odd variety of styles. Police seized more than 130 paintings that were claimed to have been painted by Modigliani, Matisse and Monet among other noted artists. Other 20th-century masters in the hoard include Chagall and Kandinsky. Even a Leonardo da Vinci is among the fakes… now that’s confidence in your forgery abilities! A Norwegian couple is suspected of being involved with the forgery, discovered in a raid in Cascais, Portugal (near Lisbon).

The director of the Glasgow Museums and Art Galleries said, “It might be the work of more than one forger. I doubt if any would have fooled a specialist. They are potpourries of familiar elements in an artist’s work, not attempts to create an original, unknown conception… much more difficult.”

Also in the article,  John Myatt, a British artist who was sentenced to a year in prison in 1999 as a forger of Monet, Matisse and Giacometti, described a Portuguese Modigliani as “quite convincing”—”I’d have gone for that,” he said. He also thought the Botero looked “quite credible.” But he dismissed a Chagall as missing “the essence” of the artist—”he wasn’t that untidy,” he said—and a Leonardo as a “pastiche of an 18th century painting”. He observed that it was foolhardy to forge Leonardo: “There has been an accepted body of his work with provenance and exhibition history over 400 years. To come along with a new Leonardo is just stupid… A new Kandinsky at least makes some sense.”

Park City Signs just installed our new Gallery MAR sign, here on Main Street, Park City. This is an historic day! It’s been 2 years and 2 months working with Park City Municipal and the owner of my building to make it to this point.

Stop by this weekend for our “Local Fireworks” exhibition featuring local Utah artists. Join us for our reception on Saturday the 3rd from 3 to 5 pm. Take home your very own pack of Sparklers! Let’s celebrate Independence Day, artfully.

The third Annual Savor the Summit returns Saturday, June 19th combining Park City’s unique and diverse dining options with our celebrated community atmosphere into an incredible culinary experience in Historic Park City. New this year– Before you take your seat, take in some art! Savor the Summit brings a unique opportunity for a mid-month Gallery Stroll on Saturday the 19th of June.

From 4 to 6 pm, enjoy a special stroll that gives locals and Park City visitors alike the opportunity to enjoy light refreshments at participating galleries, while exploring Park City’s exciting art scene. The Park City Gallery Association offers our community a unique monthly showcase highlighting artists, special exhibits, and art events. The Park City Gallery Stroll is a free community event.

Join Park City’s longest dinner party during Savor the Summit’s The Grande Table event. One long dinner table graces the length of Main Street, allowing for over 1500 diners to join in celebration of fabulous food, outdoor dining, live music, and summer in the mountains.

Park City’s finest dining establishments provide their own “menu du table,” showcasing their summer menus, while live musical performances fill the evening with ambiance. The lively “Spirits Garden” offers a listening and nibbling area near the Main Stage for pre-and post-dinner drinks and music. Small bites available for the casual diner.

Amy Ringolz and Lisa Lamoreaux the night of their opening reception. Congratulations to both artists on a beautiful show, hanging through February.

“Why Walk Alone,” Oil, 2010 by Amy Ringholz

Lisa Lamoreaux with collectors in the Park City gallery.